CalTrain Official Sorry He Ordered Train Delay

A CalTrain executive apologized to the railroad's board of directors yesterday for using his clout to delay a train for 20 minutes so he could make his connection.

Jerry Kirzner, director of rail services, said yesterday that he was traveling on an Amtrak train from Denver on June 24 and arrived at the Emeryville station 2 1/2 hours late. He needed to take an Amtrak bus to San Francisco to catch the 8 p.m. train to San Jose.

Kirzner said "six or seven" passengers asked him if the bus would arrive at Fourth and Townsend streets in time to make the connection. Realizing that the bus would be late, Kirzner said he called the dispatcher to ask for the train to be held.

The Amtrak bus did not arrive in San Francisco until 8:15 p.m., and the train did not depart until 8:20 p.m., 20 minutes later than scheduled.

The delay was magnified because instead of the usual light ridership that Saturday night, the train was packed with 400 people leaving a Pearl Jam concert and others who had attended the United Nations' 50th anniversary.

"I do regret it, and I'm sorry

it happened," Kirzner said. "It won't happen again."

Adrian Brandt, chairman of the CalTrain citizen's advisory committee, said one witness to the incident told him that Kirzner was the only passenger to get off the Amtrak bus for CalTrain. "I don't think it is excusable," said Brandt. "It's fair to say there were a lot of new riders getting their first impression of CalTrain at that station."

Kirzner denied that he was the only bus passenger to get on CalTrain, although he admitted that when he arrived in San Francisco, he saw only one other person getting off the bus with him.

The board accepted Kirzner's apology. Board Chairman Mike Nevin chided Kirzner and told him to say three "Hail Mary" prayers to atone for the mistake.

"It was a question of judgment," Nevin said. "It shouldn't have been done."